Big Stone County, Minnesota Genealogy
Guide to Big Stone County, Minnesota ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Big Stone County, Minnesota | |
Map | |
![]() Location in the state of Minnesota, United States Genealogy | |
![]() Location of Minnesota in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded | February 20, 1862 |
---|---|
County Seat | Ortonville |
Courthouse | |
Address | Big Stone County Courthouse 20 SE 2nd Street Ortonville, MN 56278-1544 Phone: 320-839-2308 Big Stone County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 3 History
- 4 Places/Localities
- 5 Resources
- 6 Societies and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the Big Stone Lake. The County is located in the west central area of the state. [1]
Big Stone County, Minnesota Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1881 | 1881 | 1881 | 1885 | 1881 | 1881 | 1836 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Recorder has birth, marriage and land records from 1881, divorce and court records from 1885.
Court Judge has probate records. [3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
- 1862--Big Stone County was created 20 February 1862 from Pierce County; eliminated 20 Feb 1862. County seat: Ortonville [4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1885 Courthouse was destroyed by fire.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[5]
Cities | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
MNGenWeb Archives | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
Tombstone Project | FamilySearch Places | |
MNInterment | ||
Billion Graves | ||
See Minnesota Cemeteries for more information. |
Census[edit | edit source]
State Census
- 1865 - Minnesota State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1885 - Minnesota State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1905 - Minnesota State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — index and images
Church[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information, see Minnesota Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1912 - 1956 - Minnesota Passenger and Crew Lists, 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — index and images
Land[edit | edit source]
The county register of deeds keeps land records once the land was transferred to private ownership. Abstracts and indexes for these records are generally available at the county courthouse.
Land records for Minnesota are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:
MINNESOTA, Big Stone – LAND AND PROPERTY
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Big Stone County, Minnesota Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Minnesota Local Histories.
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
World War II[edit | edit source]
- 1940-1945 - Minnesota, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1947 at FamilySearch — index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1872-1962 - Minnesota Naturalization Records and Indexes, 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — index
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1865-2006 - Minnesota Obituaries 1865-2006 at FamilySearch— index and images
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. They may include the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc. See Minnesota Probate Records for additional information. Online Probate Records
- 1801 - 1999 Minnesota Wills and Probate Records 1801-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Since Minnesota tax records include only persons who owned taxable property, many residents were not included. Still they complement land records and can be used in place of missing censuses or the years between censuses. There may also be gaps. For more information, see the wiki page Minnesota Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.
A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Minnesota Vital Records.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage($) — index
- 1900-1934 Minnesota Births, 1900-1934 at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1850-2019 WEB: Minnesota, Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry($) — index
- 1860 - 1949 Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1976-2003 Minnesota, Marriages, 1976-2003 at MyHeritage($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-2001 - Minnesota, County Deaths, 1850-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1887-2001 - Minnesota Deaths, 1887-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1904-2001 Minnesota, Death Index, 1904-2001 at MyHeritage($) — index
- 1904-2001 Minnesota Deaths, 1904-2001 at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Big Stone County Historical Society and Museum
985 US Highway 12
Ortonville, MN 56278
Phone: 320-839-3359
Website
Facebook - Ortonville Public Library
412 NW 2nd Stret
Ortonville, MN 56278
Phone: 320-8390-2494 - Graceville Public Library
415 Studdart Avenure
PO Box 457
Graceville, MN 56240
Phone: 320-748-7332
Family History Centers
[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Big Stone County, Minnesota at MNGenWeb
- Big Stone County listings at Cyndi's List
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Big Stone County, Minnesota" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Stone_County,_Minnesota accessed 8 Nov 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Big Stone County, Minnesota. Page 362-370 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 362-365.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Big Stone County, Minnesota page 362, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Big Stone County, Minnesota," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Stone_County%2C_Minnesota, accessed 21 January 2020.